Things Never to be Told  Rewrite
by Azar's Curse
Summary: Harry Potter doesn't know that there is someone watching him at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and their name isn't Albus Dumbledore.  This could be a good thing, or a bad thing.  Which will it be?
1. Chapter 1

Things Never to be Told

Prologue

In a little cottage on the outskirts of Nottingham, an elderly lady sat and waited. Pans were scrubbing themselves in the sink. A broom swept the flagstone floor. She sat back in her rocking chair, glancing up at the grandfather clock whose pendulum swung without being attached to the clock itself. A spark of something gold illuminated the room as the hour hand twitched over the twelve. Midnight. When the border between dimensions was thinnest. The golden spark grew and grew and grew, forming a portal. From out of the portal stepped a man cradling something in his arms. He flicked his long blue hair out of his eyes.

"I cannot stay long, Xiamara. The Senators cannot hold the portal stable"

"Is Irena..."

"Dead. It was as we feared. He came for her during the night. . Here. Take her. I hope she will be safe here."

"She will be as safe as I can keep her, and certainly safer than she is in Synairn. What is her name?"

"Alexiai, _Angel's blood_. High Priestess Arias has, however, chosen to rename her Shade. Take care of her... I may not be her father, but..."

"But you care for her as your own. Worry not, Armen, I will raise her as my own daughter. Now go, before you are trapped here."

Armen stepped back though the portal, which closed behind him, leaving the room dark once more. Xiamara looked down at the infant girl in her arms. It was strange. The child was awake, but silent, as if she knew the severity of the situation, watching Xiamara with her strange eyes. One eye was silver while the other black. A shock of dark violet hair covered her skull. Xiamara sighed. Hopefully Earth was going to be safe enough to keep her from the dangers her father posed.

Chapter 1 : 11 years later

Xiamara stood in the doorway into the kitchen, watching the girl she had raised for the last eleven years. Shade was standing in the centre of the room, setting it in motion with a form of magic that had manifested only a month before. The elderly woman couldn't help but be impressed. It had taken years of intensive training for Xiamara to be able to master her magic, but Shade seemed to get the hang of it easily. She had breakfast going, the broom sweeping and the washing up doing itself all at the same time. Shade stood in the middle of it, concentrating hard, her strange eyes closed as she murmured spells under her breath. Xiamara coughed discreetly.

Everything stopped. The broom clattered to the ground. The washing up exploded in a volcano of soapy water. The toast burst into flames. Xiamara took pity on the sodden girl and used her magic to clean the room, putting everything back in order.

"I apologise, Akra," Shade said, using the formal term used towards women deemed to be highly superior in their home dimension. She fixed her eyes on the ground next to her feet. "I was trying to practise dividing my concentration and help you with the chores."

"It matters not, Shade, disaster often strikes those trying to understand their powers. It is not worth apologising for, else we spend our lives apologising. Come, sit. I will put breakfast on." Shade slipped into a seat, still not looking up at Xiamara. The elderly woman sighed. Something had happened in home dimension. This was not normal behaviour, but the girl had been submissive and obedient ever since she had briefly visited the other dimension a year or two ago. She refused to tell Xiamara what had happened though. She glanced out of the window. A speck appeared on the horizon, slowly growing larger until she could make it out as a bird. Xiamara smiled to herself.

An owl flew through the open window, landing gracefully on the kitchen table. Shade looked at it warily. There was an envelope in its beak, an envelope addressed to her. She glanced at Xiamara for permission. Her guardian inclined her head. The girl took the envelope from the bird's beak, watching it click its beak before flying off again. She turned the letter over, running her fingers over the old-fashioned wax seal. Sliding a nail under it, she opened the envelope, sliding out the strange feeling paper within. It was a letter inviting her to attend a school called Hogwarts. She glanced up at Xiamara questioningly.

"I thought it would help you to attend a proper school of magic. It is not quite the same magic, although it is close enough for you to be able to imitate the others," she explained. "Hogwarts had a reputation as one of the most excellent schools of magic and one of the safest places on this Earth."

Shade looked disbelieving.

"There will be no question in the matter, Shade Alexiai Parthenopaeus, you will attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry whether you like it or not!"


	2. Chapter 2

Things Never to be Told

Chapter 2

Shade stood next to the train on platform nine and three quarters. She drew the hood on her cloak low over her face, ignoring the worried concern on Xiamara's face. Shade knew that her eyes weren't normal, but she hadn't expected them to draw this much attention. She swallowed hard. Her stomach was tying itself in knots as she thought about having to leave Xiamara and get on the train, leaving her guardian for the first time in years. Xiamara enveloped the girl in a tight hug.

"Remember to have fun while you're there," she said, releasing her and handing the girl her new wand, (Xiamara had kept it for safekeeping). "And try to make lots of friends!"

Shade sat in an empty compartment, her hood still hiding her face. People were walking up and down the narrow corridor, peering in at her before moving on. A black haired boy she judged to be about the same age as her opened the door warily, looking at her.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" He asked. Shade shook her head, turning her gaze to look out of the window again, pulling a pair of sunglasses from her pocket and sliding them over her eyes. No need in scaring the human if she didn't have to. Somewhere out in the city of London, a church bell tolled eleven. The train gave a slight lurch, starting its journey to Hogwarts. Thankfully, the boy didn't speak to her. Shade didn't feel like having to keep up a conversation.

The compartment door slid open again. Shade looked up with a hint of irritation on her features. So much for the quiet trip. She had barely slept the night before and was in need of a nap. With other people in the compartment, she was pretty sure she wasn't going to fall asleep. A gangly, orange-haired boy sat down opposite the other, watched discreetly by Shade. She listened in an offhand manner as they made their introductions, not really paying attention but filing the information away somewhere in her mind. Ron Weasley, the redhead, seemed to be overawed to be in the presence of the other boy, someone called 'Harry Potter'. Shade made a mental note to try and find out who the hell he was.

"What's your name, Darkie?" Ron asked, nudging the girl with his foot. Shade growled low in her throat, glaring at him from behind her dark glasses.

"Shade, Shade Parthenopaeus." She muttered.

"Talkative, aren't you?"

Shade didn't answer.

The rest of the journey passed, thankfully, without incident. Shade even managed to catch up on a couple of hours sleep before they started to draw close to the train station used by the school in Hogsmeade. Shade pulled her sunglasses off. It was dark outside. The shadow cast by her hood would be enough to hide her eyes. She slung her backpack over her shoulder, waiting until the initial rush had died down before stepping off the train. She glanced around warily, standing on the outskirts of a group of nervous first years, looking up at a man who towered over even the tallest of the seventh year students. She quickly dropped her gaze to the ground, slightly unnerved by him, sensing something not quite human about him, but unable to determine what else it was she was sensing.

She followed the group of first years along a well beaten path towards a dock where several small boats waited for them. She ended up sitting next to a pale-faced boy who reminded her strangely of a ferret. She opted to ignore him as he cast strange, condescending looks at her, as if he didn't deem her worthy to be in the same boat.

All thoughts and worries flew from her mind as she first lay eyes on Hogwarts. A castle of such size, lit from within by what she guessed to be thousands of torches. It held more beauty and majesty than the Senate towers back from her home dimension. It was simply breathtaking.

Her thoughts didn't really return to full functioning until she was standing in front of a floppy old hat. The Sorting Hat. She was standing in the Great Hall under a ceiling enchanted to look like the night's sky outside. The population of the school was sitting at four long tables. She was standing in the middle of the group of first years who were waiting to be sorted. And her name had just been called. Her heart in her throat, she stepped forwards to sit on the stool. The teacher in charge of the sorting placed the hat on her head. She tried not to let her expression show her shock as the hat _spoke_ to her.

"I see dark secrets in your mind. Great power you choose to hide. A parentage so well suited to Slytherin, but I think not. I see greater things in your future. Greater things that will only be accomplished if you are placed in... GRYFFINDOR!"


End file.
